1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an anti-inflammatory agent and fools and drinks containing the agent, and more particularly to an anti-inflammatory agent effectively inhibiting allergic diseases such as pollen disease and highly suppressing adverse reactions as compared to drugs particularly in case of long-term administration as well as to fools and drinks containing the agent.
2. Description of the Related Art
The pollen disease is one of various allergic diseases such as allergic rhinitis. In Japan, the pollen disease has frequently appeared but mostly in the last two decades. In recent years, the incidence rate of the pollen disease has been on the remarkable increase. At present, approximately 30% of the nation of Japan has displayed any allergic symptoms caused by the pollen disease.
In the past, a typical example of allergy-causing pollens was only a pollen of cryptomeria. In contrast, recently there have often appeared various allergic symptoms due to not only the pollen of cryptomeria but also other pollens, for example, of cypress and ragweed. Such a variety of allergy-causing pollens results in an increased term for possible incidences of the pollen diseases. Further, other cases of allergic symptoms caused by house dusts or mites have been affirmed. In these cases, such allergic symptoms may often be continued throughout the year.
Research of the therapy for the pollen diseases has widely and aggressively been made, and some available measures of therapy have already been developed and used in clinical therapy. Notwithstanding, these therapy measures have not yet demonstrated the desired almost perfect and satisfactory effects and results of therapy due to those merits and demerits. Incidence of the pollen diseases causes various unpleasant symptoms such as sneeze, rhinitis, rhinorrhea, rhinophyma, headache and heavy itch on eyes. Administration of therapeutic drug for reducing and suppressing such unpleasant symptoms may, unfortunately, however, cause undesired adverse effects such as sleepiness. Either the various unpleasant symptoms or the undesired adverse effects would be influential to the quality of life to no small extent.
In the meantime, artificially-prepared anti-allergic and steroid drugs have already been developed and used for clinical therapy. A long-term administration of those drugs may, however, cause various deteriorations of symptom such as rebound phenomenon and undesired adverse effects such as abnormal sleepiness due to those strong activation to central nervous system of human, and undesirable influences to endocrine system of human. In all cases, the administration of those drugs should be made according to the instructions of medical doctor.
In parallel to the research and developments of the artificially-prepared drugs, it was also attempted to find out any natural anti-allergic substances obtainable from natural foods because natural anti-allergic substances may be safe for human body and almost free from any substantive adverse effects. Developments of foods containing those natural anti-allergic substances are disclosed in three Japanese laid-open patent publications No. 61-291524, No. 1-121217, and No. 7-215884. Typical examples of well known natural anti-allergic substances are Rubussuavzssimus extract and Perilla frutescens leaf extract. Rubussuavissimus extract is extracted by a hot water from leaf of Rubussuavissimus. Perilla frutescens leaf extract is extracted by a hot water from leaf of Perilla frutescens. 
As results of the clinical researches for those extracts, it was confirmed that Rubussuavissimus extract is effective to relax allergic symptoms and suppress allergic incidences onto circulatory organs such as rhinitis, sneeze and soreness on throat, while Perilla frutescens leaf extract is effective to relax and suppress skin inflammation.
Further, those natural food materials would be extremely safe to human body upon a long-term intake and be almost free from any substantive adverse effects because those natural food materials have been taken in the past long-term. Those natural anti-allergic substances have been utilized as anti-allergy functional ingredient for the anti-allergic foods.
In conclusion, as described above, the artificially-prepared anti-allergic drugs may cause various adverse effects, and thus should be administrated in accordance with the medical doctor's instructions. Since the long-term administration of those drugs should be avoided, those drugs would thus be unsuitable for relaxation and suppression of the allergic symptoms for the long-term.
The above-described natural anti-allergic substances obtainable from the foods are superior in safety to the human body in case of the long-term intake and also are almost free of any substantive adverse effects. Notwithstanding, these natural anti-allergic substances suppress only part of vital allergic reactions which will give rise to the allergic disease. Namely, the natural anti-allergic substances are effective for relaxation and suppression of part of the allergic symptoms, but not for holistic symptoms.
In the above circumstances, a novel anti-inflammatory agent and fools and drinks containing the agent free from the above problems are desirable.